Category: Afternoon Accessories

Afternoon Accessories: Audi Dealer Goodies

  By ,

It’s always nice to spend a few minutes perusing old dealer brochures. Manufacturers spend countless millions on marketing, after all, and we should appreciate their efforts. Today I’ve rounded up some of the dealer goodies that Audi has given out – representing some milestones in the company’s history, no less. There’s the memorable poster celebrating the R8 win of the North American Endurance Championship (remember back when this was a new concept for Audi?), and the dominant RS6s run in the SCCA World Challenge. Then there’s a cool schematic showing the dimensions on the S4. I have a similar one for the Quattro and I love to look at it! Speaking of, there’s also a dealer brochure with a RR 20V Quattro fold out – what a pretty car. And let’s not forget the new – and wildly popular – turn Audi took when it launched the TT. All in all, some neat historic memories this afternoon! What’s your favorite?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Audi RS6 SCCA World Challenge Poster on eBay

Continue reading

Art and the Automobile: Porsche Racing

  By ,

I can’t really speak to how the younger generation fills their mind with automotive images today, but when I was a kid those images came through the exceedingly rare sightings on the street and the posters that I had on my wall. So as we continue our artwork theme for the holiday season, today we’ll take a look at some art reflecting Porsche’s racing history, with specific attention to Le Mans but with a few other interesting pieces added in. Racing has served as a centerpiece of Porsche’s branding almost since the beginning and its success in road racing has been integral to the success of the marque itself. And there is no stronger testament to a car’s combination of reliability and performance than a Le Mans victory.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1970 Porsche 917 Le Mans print on eBay

Continue reading

Wednesday Wheels Roundup

  By ,

Time for another wheels roundup, and this time I’m focusing on some rare steering wheels. I have one for each major brand here. The Audi Sport Italvolanti wheel is simply an awesome period piece for an early Quattro and a rare find. It matches the Audi Sport colors from the beginning of the WRC run and would definitely suit a car with brown leather. The Ruf wheel goes down in my book as one best looking wheels out there – I simply love the elegant and simple look of it! The Atiwe wheel is one that I have to admit I don’t think I’ve seen before and would certainly help to set your 80s Benz apart. Speaking of setting apart, the Momo Benetton wheel is one of my all-time favorites. I would love to own a Harlequin Golf just to be able to install that wheel. And then there is the rare Petri 2002 Turbo wheel; a very cool period piece even if it is a bit pricey. Which is your favorite for your dream ride?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Italvolanti Audi Steering Wheel on eBay

Continue reading

Afternoon Accessories: Volkswagen Dealer Goodies

  By ,

It’s always cool to see some rare dealer bits; from big promotional posters to service guides, they’re a neat way to relive the past and have some cool details to go along with your automotive passion. Today I have a roundup of Volkswagen dealer pieces. First off is the neat Global Rallycross calendar that is signed by Scott Speed, Tanner Foust and Michael Andretti. There’s a service guide for 1969 which is cool for aircooled folks. But I love the posters – there’s a 1986 Quantum Syncro Wagon original poster and a more modern Beetle RSi Cup poster. And there’s a cool fleet brochure – can you imagine specifying 1988 GTi 16Vs for your fleet? I’d love to work for that company!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2014 Volkswagen Motorsports Signed Calendar on eBay

Continue reading

Wednesday Wheels Roundup

  By , , , , , ,

It’s another Wednesday and time for another rare wheel roundup! Today I have some more of my favorites lined up, starting with ones close to my heart – Ronal R8 option wheels. These are the lower offset wheels that have the spokes curve in to create a nice lip; were they 4x108mm, rest assured I wouldn’t have posted them and they’d be in the mail to me. They’re rare to find in either bolt configuration but would suit an early GT/4000, Volkswagen or (gasp!) E21 or E30 well. There are two sets of OZ Racing Vega wheels – one for Porsche, the other for Mercedes-Benz. They’re a neat BBS alternative and rare to see. The Audi A3 S-Line wheels may be one you haven’t seen before as most of the S-Line cars came with either larger 17″ wheels or the more BBS-esque wheels. Boy, they’re cheap – a great rare winter setup, perhaps? The Gotti wheels are so over the top they’re almost cool again! And the same goes for the polished Zenders – a rare find with plenty of character to set you apart. What’s your favorite?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Audi Ronal R8 15×7, 4×100 Wheels on eBay

Continue reading

Wednesday Wheels Roundup: Ruf/Speedline Edition

  By , , ,

Are there better looking wheels than the 5-spokes made by Speedline in the mid late 80s to early 90s? I’m not sure there are; the proportions are perfect, the finishes were awesome – they just suited the cars really well. They were the counterpoint to the BBS wheels and were also popular on the track. A few decades on, they’re now worth more than just about any wheels from the period – more even than the fan-favorite BBS RS. But if you have a Porsche and you want the ultimate period wheel, Speedlines are the way to go in my opinion. Here’s a selection of a few different versions of the Ruf wheels; from the original “Yellowbird” wheels through the more recent BTR and CTR wheels, along with some great Alessios and some Kenesis Supercups. Enjoy!

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Ruf Speedline CTR2 18×9.5 5×130 Wheels on eBay

Continue reading

Tuner Tuesday Zender Edition: Tuner Accessories Roundup

  By , , , , , ,

Zender is one of those names that I really identify with the 1980s. While they continued on after, the real height of Zender’s popularity seemed to be in the 1980s. Body kits, wheels and even steering wheels ultimately resulted in a tuning firm that was able to produce a few of their own show cars; remember the Zender Fact 4 and Vision? Today there are a host of real and copy Zender pieces floating around – here’s a sampling of what I was able to find on Ebay. While the styling may be a bit polarizing, it’s hard to deny that Zender offered customers something unique and having period detail pieces like these can really set your car apart if done properly:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Zender E24 front spoiler on eBay

Continue reading

Tuner Tuesday M-Tech Edition: Tuner Accessories Roundup

  By , ,

There are some days that I really wish I had a BMW rather than an Audi, and a large part of that comes down to some of the cool items that you can easily get. Granted, I don’t like having what everyone else does – but that’s what’s nice about the mix and match OEM M-Tech pieces; you can customize your vehicle easily and without breaking the bank. Here’s a selection of M-Tech pieces I found this week on EBay:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: E30 M-Tech Doorsills on eBay

Continue reading

Tuner Tuesday: Tuner Accessories Roundup

  By , , , , , ,

Here’s another roundup of some of the cooler accessories I found on EBay this week. The Nardi steering wheel is an absolute classic design and would really dress up a classic Volkswagen. I think the Mercedes-Benz reserve gas tank is too cool, even though it’s technically not a tuner accessory. It makes me want to buy the entire car just so I can slot it in! That DKW racing manifold certainly has a small number of applications, but it’s sure neat to see something for the old classics. Grabbing an original radio might not seem fun, but I love how the Blaupunkt-made Gamma units look for the Audis and you could return your car towards stock. Much as the Metric Mechanics team offers great motors for BMW, Techtonics Tuning offers this well-built 2.1 8V motor pumping out an impressive 150 horsepower with plenty of torque and instant response. Zender accessories are always popular, especially when they’re original items. And one of my favorite wheels has always been the MOMO Monte Carlo – what a stellar looking steering wheel! What’s your favorite?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Vintage Nardi Volkswagen Steering Wheel on eBay

Continue reading

Tuner Tuesday: Tuner Accessories Roundup

  By , , , , , , ,

Time for another roll call of some neat accessories I spotted for sale this week. The Votex items are extremely rare to find, even if their styling is somewhat polarizing. For a factory look, the W124 AMG rear spoiler needs refinishing but is an original piece. The Nürburgring brake package was a factory option that Dinan used as a “Big Brake” package for many BMWs, but originally came on either the M5, 540i M-Sport or 850CSi. Finally, there’s a set of Ruf pedals for your 911/964/993 just to finish things off. What’s your favorite?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Audi 80,90 Votex Front Grill Spoiler on eBay

Continue reading